I Enrolled as the Villain

"And I remembered what happens when a throne is left empty."

As the word echoes escape my mouth the silence linger louder than any word longer than necessary

Lucia eye shift between me and herself

Other council members look down or maybe trying to interpret what iam saying

But as I looked at each of the members, I could still feel it.

Hesitation.

Not disobedience not quite. But unease.

They had bowed to the Eye. And they had followed the words.

But worship is easier from a distance.

And now, the myth was sitting across from them.

Breathing. Speaking. Thinking.

And they didn't know what to do with it.

From the farthest edge of the circle, the oldest among them shifted forward. A senior. Silver-banded. Revered.

His voice didn't rise but it cut through the silence anyway.

"You carry something divine," he said. "But what is it?"

"What… are you, Kael?"

I didn't answer right away.

I let the weight settle like dust in sacred halls.

The question wasn't asked in doubt.

It was asked in awe.

Not "Why should we follow you?"

But "What did we just follow?"

I didn't rush to answer.

Letting the silence settle was the only honesty I had left.

Across the chamber, I could see the shift not in posture, but in belief. One by one, the weight of who I was began to override the image they'd rehearsed.

Lucia's eyes remained on me. Not wide, not narrowed. Just watching.

Waiting to see if I'd lie.

But I didn't speak to her. Not yet.

Instead, I looked at the old student who asked.

And said, quietly,

"I don't know."

His brow furrowed.

Not at the answer but at the truth of it.

"I know what I carry," I continued.

"I know what it can do. What it has done."

I looked down at my hand, fingers curling slightly.

"But that doesn't mean I understand what it makes me."

Around me, no one moved.

"I've seen things that haven't happened yet. I've seen things that might never. I've seen the world break from every angle and I've seen who's still standing afterward."

A pause.

"And it's not always the strongest."

I raised my gaze again.

"So I won't stand here and name myself a god. Or a prophet. Or a monster."

I let that hang then added,

"But I'll tell you what I'm not."

"I'm not silent anymore."

Lucia finally looked away just for a second. Like the truth had landed where even she couldn't catch it.

Then the silver-banded senior sat back in his chair.

And bowed his head. Not from obedience. Not from duty.

But understanding.

One by one, the others followed.

Not because of fear.

But because the myth was no longer a statue.

It was walking.

As each of them bowed, their voices rose in solemn unity:

"The Eye sees, and so do I."

And I answered, quieter than before.

"Then let's be more than what we see. Let's become something new."

No one spoke.

For a few long seconds, even the room held its breath. The air wasn't reverent not exactly but it was listening. Finally listening.

Lucia straightened slowly in her seat. Her gaze lingered on mine, unreadable.

Then she tapped the obsidian table. A faint chime rang out.

"This session is now in motion," she said. "Core council only. We start with Kael."

The table's center lit up sigils, charts, faction standings. Data most of them already knew. But this time, they watched it differently.

I didn't rush. I let them look at me. Not the Eye. Not the myth. Just… me.

"We've been treated like something fading. A name with no teeth," I said.

"Other factions don't fear us. They think we're hiding. Pretending."

I let the pause stretch — not dramatic, just true.

"They're not wrong. We have been hiding. Behind silence. Behind memory. Behind my name."

A few heads lowered. Others didn't move at all.

"But I'm not hiding anymore," I said.

"And neither should any of you."

Lucia's fingers curled slightly on the table. She didn't interrupt.

"We show them what we are," I said.

"Not with speeches. With action."

The oldest member the silver-banded one leaned back in his chair.

"So we strike first?"

"No," I said. "We stand first."

And for the first time, that didn't feel like weakness.

"Our next move," I said, voice steady,

"is the Strongholds Competition."

The word landed like a stone in still water.

Council members straightened. Even Lucia's fingers paused mid-tap on the edge of the table.

"You mean the faction trials?" one asked, voice low but sharp.

"The event where every faction fights to claim territory, resources, and status."

"We're not in it," another muttered.

The room quieted.

Not because the statement was wrong but because they all knew why.

Velvet Eye hadn't participated in years.

"Registration's been closed for weeks," someone finally said.

"And even if we were allowed in… we've got nothing. Our faction base will be the worst. The broken southern gate. No proper infrastructure. No reserves."

A pause.

Then every gaze turned to me.

Waiting.

Judging.

Hoping.

I didn't flinch.

"Then we'll turn it into a fortress," I said.

"Not because it's strong. But because we are."

"No approval?" Lucia asked.

Her tone wasn't mocking just testing.

"No endorsement from faculty or the Headmaster?"

"We ask," I said.

"And if they say no?"

I met her eyes.

"Then we make it impossible to ignore us."

No one laughed.

No one objected.

Because deep down in the place where fear had made a home they all wanted to believe that we could take back what was lost.

Even if the world told us we didn't belong.

"We'll reclaim the broken gate."

"We'll carve a fortress from ruin."

"And when the other factions come to burn us down…"

I looked around the chamber, voice lowering:

"Let them see what it means to fight those who've already been through fire."

"So what's the plan?" another voice asked this time not with doubt, but curiosity.

Lucia crossed her arms.

"The Blue Star will try to block us. Commoner Union might too, if they think we'll draw fire."

"They'll all try," I said.

"And none of them will matter."

I turned to Elira.

who had remained by the system terminal eyes sharp, fingers already hovering over the Academy interface.

"Send it," he said.

Lucia paused. "To who?"

Kael's answer was instant.

"Everyone."

She didn't ask again. Her hand moved. One confirmation click, then another. A soft chime echoed through the chamber the sound of a notification going live.

Across the Academy every tablet, datapad, and projection screen lit up.

SYSTEM NOTICE:

Conference Declaration — House Valery: Velvet Eye

To all recognized factions, board officials, and student bodies of the KVE Union Academy:

A formal conference will be held in the Grand Hall tomorrow at 09:00.

Subject: Clause Invocation — Old Lineage Mandate

Speaker: Kael Valery

Attendance is open. Recording is enabled.

This notice is marked as Priority Level Red.

As the notification spread the student whispered. Instructors scrolled their screens in disbelief.

And in every faction headquarters from Keshar Red Line to Blue Star the reaction was the same:

Shock.

Then denial.

Then silence.

Then preparation.

"Dismissed. Meet me tomorrow before the conference."

Each of them nodded in turn quiet, composed then bowed as I turned and left the chamber.

The door slid shut behind me.

I checked my synchwatch. The day was already over. Officially.

And yet… it felt like it had only just begun.

I exhaled not dramatically, just tired.

My shoulders slumped slightly.

That was a lot for a first day.

I walked back in silence, the academy's glass halls catching the soft amber hues of evening.

When I reached the elite dorm gate, I saw her.

Elira.

Hair short, black, tugged gently by the wind. She was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, like she'd been waiting for a while.

She looked up as I approached.

"Hey."

I blinked. "…Hey."

She tilted her head. "So. You're alive."

I gave a small, exhausted shrug. "Barely."

"How was the first day?"

I hesitated just a second then sighed again.

"Loud," I said finally.

She smiled faintly. "That's one word for it."

As I entered my dorm no, penthouse I barely made it to the sofa before collapsing into it.

My limbs ached, my head buzzed, and the silence felt like a reward. A maid approached quietly, placing a cold drink on the table beside me. I took it without a word, letting the chill bite into my palm.

One sip.

Another.

Then I glanced out the window.

The green field outside stretched wide beneath the evening sky clean and soft under the wind.

And just like that, the thought came.

I stood. No hesitation. Grabbed the old football tucked by the wall and ran outside.

I kicked it once.

Then again.

Then I started dribbling with no mana just muscle, rhythm, and something close to joy. My steps picked up speed, cutting across the field, weaving, flicking the ball over my foot, balancing it, spinning

"Still playing that ancient game?"

I slowed.

A familiar silhouette stood near the edge of the field, arms crossed, watching me.

"Elira?" I called.

She stepped forward, wind tugging at her hair.

"I figured you'd be out here again," she said.

"Honestly, I felt bad watching you play alone yesterday. So…"

She paused.

"I thought I'd join."

I raised an eyebrow. "You? Playing football?"

"Don't get cocky. I'm here to stop you from embarrassing the Valery name with that aim."

I grinned just a little. And kicked the ball toward her.

"Then prove it."

———

Elira POV

Kael passed the ball toward me.

I don't actually know how to play this game. But based on the ancient football clips I watched earlier…

I just need to focus my intent.

Summon the spirit.

Nine-Headed Golden Dragon of Heaven, descend!!

I roared in my head and swung with all the grace of a chosen warrior

and completely missed.

My foot whiffed the air. I spun. Crashed to the grass.

Kael blinked. "…Are you okay?"

"I loosened the terrain," I said, face down.

"Strategic collapse."

Kael stared. "Elira, you didn't touch the ball."

"I touched its soul," I replied.

He laughed. I groaned.

Victory: partial.